Reading, Shopping and Eating....

Now that I seem to have a rhythm going with my walking, I feel it's time to turn to the issue of eating. Oh, how I hate dealing with the food issue. I have wrestled with food for so many years.

When I began this journey a few weeks ago of finding health through the lens of my creativity, I knew I could not run to another diet plan. I am fully convinced that any attempt to diet will end in failure for me. And not just failure, but I'd fall deeper into the hole of weight gain, discouragement, and poor health. So..... lo and behold, what would happen when I was finally free from wanting a diet plan? Someone sends me a message about a health book that has set them free, and a good friend a few days later puts that health book into my hands! At first I was tempted to believe it was a distraction -- something I was going to have to say no to. But, I decided that I would accept the book from my friend, and also meet up to talk to the other person who encouraged me to look at the book.

I guess by this point those of you reading this blog would like to know what it is? The book is Thin Within by Judy and Arthur Halliday. The church I go to has had a group meet for several weeks to discuss the book so I had heard it mentioned several times in recent weeks. I was not able to attend the group meetings, and figured it probably wouldn't work for me anyway, so I didn't even look into the book until now.

Well, the wonderful news is, the book is NOT a diet plan... so that is why I have decided to continue reading the book and try out the advice it gives. I have already made a promise to myself that I will not get "religious" with the book. I'm not doing that with any program or plan anymore. I will do what works for me for as long as it works. I'm not spending money on any diet anymore, ever. Thankfully, Thin Within seems to align with my decision!

I went shopping for groceries yesterday and it was probably the most peaceful, confident grocery shopping experience I've ever had. I did not feel like I had to put buckets of produce in my cart just because they are "good foods". I went in asking myself what I really needed and wanted from the store, and I was able to purchase those items without fear or dread, or guilt. I didn't need a whole lot. I bought the fresh kind of salsa that I like that is found in the produce department, I got beautiful cherry tomatoes, a pint of nice blueberries, fresh cilantro, and broccoli. I didn't need any meat and I resisted the urge to buy some more just because it was on sale. Instead of going to the bread aisle and getting some cheap boring bread, I went to the bakery section and chose this beautiful loaf of bread with an over-abundance of seeds and grains. I got a block of cheddar cheese, and a gallon of 2% milk -- not just because it is lower in fat but because I honestly like it. Then I decided I really wanted some chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk sometimes, because I really love it and I would rather have that than any other kind of dessert in the store that day. So I looked and found some organic chocolate syrup with natural ingredients, and I felt totally fine putting it in my cart. I bought a few non-food necessities, and then proceeded to the checkout line.

I actually spent less than I normally would have because normally I'd either try to make up for the discontent of all the "diet" food I'd have to buy by putting more in my cart. Or if it was a "non-diet" binge decision, I'd throw a bunch of crap in my cart because somehow that would seem to make me feel better temporarily.

Nope. not this time. I just bought exactly what I wanted and needed, and now I can choose during the day whether or not to eat when I'm really hungry. The ball is in my court now. The scale can't tell me what to do, no diet organization can tell me how to eat that food.. it is me who can call the shots. I don't expect myself to always be perfect, but I do believe I will be wise most of the time because I want to do well.